Criminal Justice Degree Online

Earn your criminal justice degree online!

Why choose an
online criminal justice degree?
Does your idea of success combine professional opportunity with the chance to make the world a better place? If you’re concerned with justice and social issues, and want to make a difference, a career in criminal justice may be your path. Mountain State University offers online criminal justice programs for maximum convenience; earn an associate or bachelor’s degree from the convenience of your home or office.

Criminal Justice is a changing and dynamic profession, its growth spurred by new technologies, increased need for law enforcement personnel, and a continuing focus on homeland security. Whether you’re a seasoned professional looking to advance in your career, or someone new to the field, an online MSU criminal justice degree offers you the opportunity to pursue any field of study relating to police, courts, corrections, or homeland security.

Regional Accreditation — The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association.

Affordable Tuition — Full-time financial aid availability and reasonable costs.

Faculty — Academic credentials and real-world experience.

What can I study at MSU?
MSU offers both online associate and bachelor’s degrees in criminal justice.

The online associate criminal justice degree program prepares you to enter criminal justice agencies or can be used as the first step to complete a bachelor’s degree.
Click here for the A.S. course sequence.

MSU offers online bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with two concentrations:

Homeland Security: The focus is on combating terrorism through investigation, detection, location, and apprehension of foreign and domestic terrorists. In this concentration, you will train for law enforcement response to incidents, disasters, and crisis management.
Click here for the Homeland Security course sequence.

Corrections Management: If you see yourself as a future leader in community corrections agencies, prisons, or jails, this concentration allows you to focus on a management and interdisciplinary approach to corrections.
Click here for the Corrections Management course sequence.

Why choose MSU?
Flexible learning delivery. Classes in the criminal justice program are offered online and in-classroom. You can also receive credit for past academic courses and prior learning experience.

Gain both academic and field experience. To supplement the academic classes, MSU offers practicum opportunities which gives our students a competitive edge in a criminal justice field that requires both a college education and relevant field experience for the top jobs.

Homeland security emphasis. All of the bachelor’s degree concentrations include courses and training in homeland security, and MSU is the only university in West Virginia that offers a Criminal Justice concentration in Homeland Security.

Career Opportunities
Criminal justice graduates will qualify for jobs such as:
Local police officer,
Sheriff’s deputy,
Correctional officer,
Private security officer,
Probation/parole officer,
Federal agent positions (with bachelor’s degree), and
Homeland security specialist.

MSU’s new concentration in its online criminal justice programs reflect the need for more law enforcement professionals in all areas of local, state, and national government. The Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, projects this area to grow faster than average, which means approximately a 21 to 35 percent increase in jobs between 2002 and 2012.

Since both bachelor’s degree programs feature elements of Homeland Security, graduates will be able to target more competitive areas within the federal government, such as the FBI, U.S Marshals, DEA, BATF, and U.S. Customs for career opportunities.

For more information about these exciting online programs,
please contact Jason Holliday 304.929.1704 or email

Unlike some careers, the criminal justice field demands that students maintain a clean record. Most criminal justice agencies and organizations require criminal background checks. Criminal background checks are even required for internship and some volunteer placements. Therefore, it is essential that criminal justice students use good judgment and avoid developing a criminal record, including an excessive number of speeding tickets, underage drinking, and fake ID charges.

Increasingly, criminal justice organizations also requiring credit checks, polygraph testing, and/or psychological evaluations.

In addition, most employers take references from our criminal justice faculty very seriously. Students should know that faculty are formally and informally assessing their academic performance, attendance, timeliness, honesty, professionalism, and social skills during their time at Mount Mercy. These faculty are often asked to reflect on these character issues for references

Crm J 403—Violence Toward Women (3 credits). Violence toward women and its relationship to broader social issues such as sexism and social control. Sample syllabus

Crm J 504—Quantitative Methods in Political Science and Criminal Justice (3 credits). Applied statistical skills, enabling understanding of substantive political and social questions. Same as Pol S 504. Sample syllabus

Crm J 505—Comparative Criminal Justice Systems (3 credits). Prereq. Crm J 101. Comparative study of criminal justice systems in the U.S. and selected foreign countries. Credit not granted for both Crm J 405 and 505.

Crm J 530—Criminal Justice: Process and Institutions (3 credits). Process of criminal justice in the context of social, political, and economic environments. Sample syllabus

Crm J 540—Seminar in Criminal Justice Research Evaluations (3 credits). Interrelationship of ideology, data, policy development, and policy implementation in public policy analysis.

Crm J 541—Seminar in Corrections (3 credits). Current issues related to the control, management, and sanctioning of criminal offenders.

Crm J 570—The Police and Society (3 credits). Prereq. Crm J 101. Community and selected social institutional factors as related to their influence on police systems.

Crm J 572—Seminar in Comparative Policing (3 credits). Study of the history, organization, and policies of policing systems in selected countries and of transnational policing.

Crm J 580—Women and the Criminal Justice System (3 credits). Criminal justice system’s treatment of women offenders, victims, and professionals.

Crm J 590—Practicum (6 credits). By interview only. Off-campus professional internship in selected criminal justice agencies. S, F grading.

Crm J 591—Seminar in the Administration of Criminal Justice (3 credits). May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 6 hours. Current issues, problems, and critical concerns within the field of the administration of criminal justice. Sample syllabus

Crm J 592—Topics in Criminal Justice (3 credits). May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 6 hours. Policy formation, administrative management, evaluation, research developments. Sample syllabus

Crm J 600—Special Projects or Independent Study (Variable credit). S, F grading.

Crm J 702—Master’s Special Problems, Directed Study and/ or Examination (Variable credit). S, F grading.

Crm J 800 Doctoral Research, Dissertation, and/or Examination (Variable credit). S, F grading.

Pol S 416—Policy Analysis (3 credits). Analysis of public policy formation, evaluation, and implementation.

Pol S 503—Introduction to Political Science Research Methods (3 credits). Social science research design topics including: measurement, sampling, data sources, experimental and quasi-experimental designs, field and historical designs and content analytic designs. Sample syllabus

Pol S 512—Seminar in American Institutions (3 credits). May be repeated for credit, cumulative maximum 6 hours. Origin, development, and contemporary issues in political organization and structure in the United States. Sample syllabus

Pol S 516—Seminar on Law, Courts, and Judicial Politics (3 credits). Seminar on law, courts, and judicial politics.

Pol S 540—Introduction to Public Administration (3 credits). Prereq. junior or senior officially certified into degree or certificate program that requires this course. Basic theories of administrative organization, relationships, and behavior.

Pol S 542—Proseminar in Administration, Justice, and Applied Policy Studies (3 credits). Analytical perspectives and theoretical issues in administration, justice, and applied policy studies.

Pol S 543—Topics in Public Administration and Policy (3 credits). Prereq. graduate standing. Examination of the literature on the politics of the American public policy process.

The Master of Arts in Criminal Justice degree requires a minimum of thirty-one credit hours, including the completion of a master’s essay.

Curriculum Objectives

Through their coursework, students develop an understanding of the complexities involved in the functioning of the criminal justice system. They learn how to conduct and evaluate applied research used by policy makers and criminal justice professionals. The close association among WRICOPS, WSICOP, DGSS and the Criminal Justice program affords students the opportunity to engage in meaningful research and gain experience working with a variety of criminal justice agencies—in law enforcement, courts, and corrections.

This training prepares students to meet the primary need faced by the criminal justice system: well-educated professionals capable of making policy decisions based on up-to-date research and theory. Students earning their MA in Criminal Justice at WSU Spokane are also well prepared to continue their studies in pursuit of a PhD.

Program requirements

Pol S/Crm J 503: Introduction to Political Science Research Methods

Crm J 530: Criminal Justice: Processes and Institutions

Crm J 504: Quantitative Methods in Political Science and Criminal Justice

Crm J 555: Seminar in the nature of Crime

Two courses in the area of policing, corrections, or courts

Master’s candidates round out their program with electives and with the completion of a master’s essay developed in cooperation with the student’s committee.

Two core and two elective courses are offered each semester, rotating such that students can complete the program in one year, if they so desire. In addition to catalog courses, we offer special topics courses every year, allowing students the opportunity to explore different aspects of the criminal justice system.

PhD in Criminal Justice

Doctoral candidates build on their master’s coursework, pursuing more in-depth and specialized studies in developing their dissertation. Students examine the criminal justice system, criminological theory, and methods of analysis. Students can begin their PhD studies at WSU Spokane; some courses must be completed at WSU Pullman.

For advising, contact
WSU Spokane Campus Academic Director
David Brody, JD, PhD
E-mail: brody@wsu.edu
Telephone: 509.358.7952

For admissions and registration information, contact
Student Affairs, WSU Spokane
E-mail: enroll@wsu.edu
Telephone: 509.358.7978

Students must be registered by the first day of class to avoid a late registration fee. Students are encouraged to apply for graduate admission as soon as possible. Acceptance to a class does not guarantee admission to a graduate program.

Simpson has one of the premier criminal justice programs in the Midwest. Students are offered excellent academic preparation for employment in the criminal justice system. Students can select an academic concentration within the major including justice, administration or corrections. Simpson’s program blends the theoretical and applied aspects of the criminal justice system and is strengthened by educational internships and field experience programs. This program enables students to pursue various career paths including graduate or law school, law enforcement, probation and parole and social work.

Students do various types of research on campus and work with local criminal justice agencies.

Simpson students scored in the 99th percentile in the Educational Testing Service criminal justice exam comparing colleges and universities from across the country.

Recent guest lecturers have covered topics ranging from criminal profiling to school shootings.

Students have plenty of opportunities for hands-on experience from “ride alongs” with the local police department to interning with state, federal and international agencies.

Recent graduate schools: University of Iowa, Iowa State University, Pepperdine University, University of Michigan, Nebraska University and Xavier University

Recent jobs and internships
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, FBI, Iowa State Patrol, U.S. Marshalls, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa Correctional Institute for Men, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Border Patrol, Secret Service and U.S. Probation and Parole Service

“My Simpson education provided me with a solid foundation and understanding of the system. This enabled me to navigate through the U.S. Army Police Commissioned Officer Schools, as well as the U.S. Treasury Criminal Investigators School and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms National Academy.”

The Criminal Justice degree is designed to prepare the student with basic foundations, concepts,
theories and skills in criminal justice interfaced with a Christian perspective in order to prepare
them for various criminal justice vocations and graduate studies in the field. Students who pursue
a career in this area should be willing to meet moral, physical and psychological standards.Many
criminal justice agencies require moral and physical fitness, psychological stability and a history of
no felony and excessive traffic violations. Thus, students applying to the program should have no
history of a felony. Students in the program learn basic structure and function of the American
Criminal Justice System including law enforcement, the courts and corrections as well as knowledge,
issues, activities and skills associated with these system components.
Knowledge – Students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate competency in the general education core of the curriculum.
2. Demonstrate competency in the knowledge of Scripture and general theological terms
and concepts.
3. Describe the significant personalities, events, and developments of Pentecostal history and
explain the distinctives of Pentecostal doctrine.
4. Write a philosophy of ministry in keeping with a Biblical view of the Church and its mission.
5. Take an exam related to their chosen field of service that results in a passing score.
Attitudes – Students should be able to:
1. Subscribe to a high view of the authority and inspiration of Scripture.
2. Acknowledge the Lordship of Christ over their personal lives.
3. Relate a personal commitment to the Church, its varied ministries and its mission within
contemporary culture.
4. Accept the challenges and opportunities of ministry within their chosen major after
leaving college.
5. Report a refined and deepened sense of calling in keeping with a defined awareness of
giftedness.
6. Report a deepened appreciation for the demands of ministry and leadership in the Church.
Pre-professional skills – Students should be able to:
1. Integrate the knowledge of criminal justice into a biblical worldview.
2. Articulate a proper relationship between criminal justice and Christian faith.
3. Demonstrate academic competence in preparation for a career in criminal justice as well as
advanced study in the field.
4. Successfully apply knowledge and skills of criminal justice processed in supervised field
experiences.

Program Overview
The master’s degree in criminal justice administration is designed to prepare professionals to become effective managers/administrators in the Criminal Justice field.

The program’s emphasis is on the development of reflective and analytical abilities that combine both theory and practical application to issues within the administration of criminal justice agencies. This assists the student in the development of decision-making and problem-solving skills. The program also stresses the development of effective written and verbal communication, that fosters leadership and ethical behavior.
These objectives are achieved through an accelerated, cohort model of instruction. This cohort model takes advantage of the experiences of each student and allows ample opportunity for in depth discussion of the topic at hand. Each student can move toward graduation in as little as 17 months.
Director’s Message
Skills & Job Information
Courses You’ll Take
Available Locations
Director’s Message

Thank you for your interest in our master’s degree in criminal justice administration. This master’s degree is well tailored to meet your busy working and home schedule, and will deliver an intellectual experience that is coupled with practical and real-life applications. ASAP instructors, who are both academically and professionally experienced, help facilitate learning in a cohort model. Learning in a cohort offers years of work/life experience, peer support and networking.

Your journey with us will be stimulating and educationally challenging. We look forward to helping you achieve all of your potential.

With regards,
Dr. Thomas Tremer, Program Director
Professor of Criminology/Criminal Justice

Mr. David Boyer, Program Coordinator
Assistant Professor of Criminology/Criminal Justice

More frequently than in the past, an observer of sentencings in Alaska courtrooms hears a judge impose a combination of penalties, rather than a simple sentence to “Three months, two suspended, on probation for two years.” The reasons for choosing alternative punishments vary, ranging from an effort to rehabilitate the offender to a decision to hold the offender accountable, recompense the victim, or respond to overcrowding in the local jail.
Although many of the alternative punishments available have existed for years and have been used by judges in a variety of situations, a new urgency pervades the criminal justice system. The increasing number of incarcerated offenders has provided pressures from a pretrial perspective. Several times in the last months, crisis calls have gone from the Department of Corrections to prosecutors, courts and law enforcement around the state. Not only have the jail populations exceeded the Cleary caps, they have expanded beyond the emergency capacities of the facilities. DOC personnel have turned away police officers with arrested persons sitting in the police vehicles, refusing to book in any more inmates. The department convened a series of lengthy meetings in December and January, inviting representatives of all criminal justice agencies to assist in pinpointing sources of prison population growth and proposing solutions.
In its final report to the legislature and the governor, the Sentencing Commission recommended more extensive use of alternative punishments, defined target groups and types of alternatives appropriate for each group, and urged agencies to train their personnel in the use of alternatives. Responding to the Sentencing Commission recommendations for more training, the Judicial Council assisted prosecutors, Public Defender and Office of Public Advocacy staff, judges and Department of Corrections personnel from southcentral Alaska in organizing a half-day seminar about alternative punishments in early February 1994. These professionals met to review existing programs and look at new policies. Representative Fran Ulmer, who chaired the Sentencing Commission’s Alternative Punishments Task Force, moderated the seminar.
Chief among the new initiatives was the announcement of the policy on the use of alternative punishments by prosecutors. In a memo dated February 3, 1994, the Alaska Attorney General encouraged prosecutors to consider voluntary agreements offered by defendants in nonviolent cases to accept alternative punishments instead of some or all prison time. Listed alternatives to incarceration included:
agreements to increased forfeitures;
agreements to increased restitution (to individuals or organizations);
agreements to increases in length of probation;
agreements to conditions such as area restrictions, curfews, waivers permitting searches and/or warrantless arrests if violations are found;
agreements to increased hours of community service;
agreements to increased fines;
agreements to increased treatment programs, including those paid for by the defendant.

(The list of proposed alternatives does not include relatively new approaches such as electronic monitoring, house arrest, or programs available only through assignment by the Department of Corrections such as Intensive Supervised Probation Program or Day Reporting Centers.) The new policy focuses on encouraging prosecutors to respond positively to proposals that they might have rejected in the past as failing to meet the sentencing goals of protecting the public or reaffirming community norms. The policy also notes that probation revocation, particularly for technical violations, is one area for which alternatives to prison are appropriate.
Panelists at the February seminar emphasized the need to use alternatives for both felons and misdemeanants. Frank Prewitt, Commissioner of the Department of Corrections, compared the 1980 DOC population of 771 to the 1994 population of 3,200, adding that the department’s budget had increased from $21.5 million to $121.5 million in the same period. Much of the most recent growth has come from increasing numbers of incarcerated misdemeanants. Bonnie Lembo, head of the District Attorney’s misdemeanor prosecutions, attributed some of the increase to recent legislative changes such as a 72-hour mandatory minimum sentence for joyriding. Steve Branchflower, head of felony intake in the Anchorage District Attorney’s office, noted the felony intake process uses a variety of alternative dispositions. He said that the office had declined 14.6 per cent of the charges referred to it (down from about 25 per cent screening rate in 1987), and had resolved most cases short of trial (77 felony trials, out of 1,346 cases accepted for prosecution, or a trial rate of 5.7 per cent, as compared to 8 per cent in 1987).
Panelists also identified barriers to using alternatives. Primary among the difficulties cited was the lack of sufficient state-paid treatment beds for offenders suffering substance abuse problems. The Department of Corrections has had funding for only thirty-seven beds in treatment programs across the state. Since the majority of crimes in urban areas (and almost all of the crimes in rural areas) are associated with substance abuse problems, the lack of treatment possibilities limits sentencing. Other barriers include the need to use state-approved facilities; difficulties in completing the forms necessary to assign Permanent Fund Dividends from offenders to the state; difficulties in obtaining credit for time served in some programs; and possible income or geographical disparities in the availability of programs. Barriers cited as important in felony cases were court rules requiring presentation of the case to the grand jury within ten or twenty days and “Catch-22″ situations posed by the requirements for entering treatment programs.
Participants varied in their assessments of the changes likely as a result of the new prosecutorial policies, and the information provided by the seminar. Some believed that without more treatment programs, the new emphasis on alternatives to jail lacks meaning. However, less than two weeks after the seminar, the Department of Corrections announced it will be moving ahead with a plan to convert thirty-four halfway house beds at Cordova Center to treatment beds, nearly doubling the treatment slots available in the state. The department also said that it has asked the legislature to fund other substance abuse programs in the coming year.
Other participants believed that relying on alternative punishments could lead to “net-widening,” meaning that offenders who would otherwise have been sentenced to probation will now be required to participate in treatment, electronic monitoring, or other sanctions that would not have been required under old policies. McNally noted that the Attorney General’s memo addresses those concerns by directing that the alternatives be used “[t]o help conserve limited prosecution resources, and to ensure that prison bedspace is available for violent and sexual offenders,” and by encouraging alternatives “in return for a decreased period of incarceration _ (or, in appropriate cases, in lieu of incarceration altogether).” Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Corrections, Larry McKinstry, noted that at present felony offenders are being furloughed to halfway houses, resulting in hard bed space that is then filled by misdemeanants. He suggested that using alternative punishments at sentencing for some felons and misdemeanants could provide less costly housing for misdemeanants, as well as giving judges and attorneys more control over the actual disposition for the offender.

Each state has a central repository which maintains and disseminates criminal history information to authorized users and cooperates with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the operation of a nationwide criminal history system. In Alaska, the central repository functions are performed by the Records and Identification Division of the Department of Public Safety (DPS-R&I), using the computer and telecommunication resources of the department’s Alaska Public Safety Information Network (APSIN).
The FBI and the Bureau of Justice Statistics have developed a set of ten recommended standards for maintaining criminal history information. Although compliance with these standards by states is voluntary, the federal government has made money available to the states for achieving such compliance. Expenditure of this money requires a prior “baseline” assessment of data quality and the development of a state plan for quality improvement.

In 1992, SEARCH, the National Consortium for Justice Information and Statistics, under contract with the Department of Public Safety, began an assessment review of Alaska criminal history data. (SEARCH is a non-profit organization of the states which focuses on improving the justice system through information technology.) In undertaking this assessment, SEARCH met with a working group representative of Alaska criminal justice agencies to discuss the project and elicit suggestions. The group included members from the Alaska Departments of Public Safety, Law, and Corrections, the Anchorage Police Department, the Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Unit at the Justice Center, Alaska Judicial Council, and the Alaska Court System.
Following the meeting of the working group, SEARCH conducted several site visits to meet with criminal justice representatives and to review the content and operation of current databases. Visits were made to the Departments of Law and Public Safety in Juneau; the Department of Public Safety and the Alaska Court System in Anchorage; and the police department, Adult Probation Department, district court, Alaska State Troopers, and district attorney in Kotzebue.
In spring 1993, SEARCH released its report on Alaska criminal history data. The SEARCH assessment considers three major areas — 1) data completeness; 2) data timeliness; and 3) data accuracy — and makes recommendations for improvement of criminal history records.
Data Completeness

The main findings concerning data completeness are:
1. Source documents for computerized criminal history (CCH) data entries, primarily arrest fingerprint cards, criminal case intake and disposition (CCID) forms, and court judgments, are often not on file. This absence stems from the data entry techniques used and also from destruction of source documents to save space or filing labor.
2. The proportion of arrests reported to CCH seems to be high, but measurement of the reporting rate is difficult; provision of a specific arrest tracking number, already implemented, will make measurement easier in the future. (Some arrests are reported by telecommunication, and the arrest fingerprint cards are not subsequently submitted.)
3. The proportion of arrest charges for which dispositions are posted is reasonably high. Explicit charge numbering and charge tracking are recommended to increase the disposition reporting rate in the near future, while reporting of data directly from case management information systems used by prosecutors, courts and corrections facilities is recommended as the long-term solution in this area.
4. Post-sentence incarceration data are not regularly reported to CCH, nor is parole/probation status. A Department of Corrections supervision status file linked to the CCH file is recommended.
Data Timeliness

The main findings concerning data timeliness are:
1. It is not possible to routinely measure reporting timeliness for arrest data because fingerprint cards are not date-stamped when they arrive at DPS-R&I. A special measurement performed on a small sample indicates reporting timeliness of 15.4 days.
2. It is not possible to routinely measure processing timeliness for arrest data because the CCH record does not contain a date-of-entry field. A special measurement on a small sample indicates processing timeliness of 15.1 days.
3. It is not possible to routinely measure reporting timeliness for decline-to-prosecute disposition data because CCID forms are not date-stamped when they arrive at DPS. A special measurement on a small sample indicates reporting timeliness of 41.8 days.
4. It is not possible to measure processing timeliness because the CCH record does not contain a date-of-entry field. A special measurement on a small sample indicates processing timeliness of 4.2 days. Receipt of disposition data directly from the prosecutor case management system is recommended in order to improve reporting timeliness and processing timeliness.
5. It is not possible to measure reporting timeliness for court disposition data because judgment forms are not date-stamped when they arrive at DPS. It also is not possible to measure processing timeliness because the CCH record does not contain a date-of-entry field. An attempt to produce a special measurement yielded no conclusive information. Receipt of court disposition data directly from the court case management system is recommended in order to improve reporting timeliness and processing timeliness.
Data Accuracy

The main findings concerning data accuracy are:
1. Arrest charges are often incorrect. This inaccuracy stems from the use of literal descriptions and the use of an inappropriate coding table for charge description. Correction of this problem will require redesign of the source documents and changes to the CCH computer program to permit statute citation use instead of National Crime Information Center (NCIC) offense codes.
2. Disposition charges, both from the prosecutor and from the court, are reasonably accurate.
3. Because there is no explicit charge number in CCH, and because prosecutors “re-use” charge numbers (e.g., the prosecutor might decline to prosecute police charge number two, then shift the former police charge number three to number two when filing), the attribution of a disposition to a certain charge is left as an exercise for the data entry clerk. These findings and their relation to the recommended national standards are summarized in Table 1.
Recommendations

SEARCH made the following specific recommendations regarding Alaska criminal history records:
1. Management improvements including clarification of lines of authority and responsibility for the central repository functions (Recommendation 1); provision of adequate resources to fulfill the responsibilities (Recommendation 2); provision of data by which to measure performance (Recommendation 3); and tightened relationship between CCH and the Alaska Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AAFIS) (Recommendation 4);
2. Improvements to the structure of CCH including achievement of a user consensus on the data requirements to be fulfilled by CCH (Recommendation 5); implementation of a true fingerprint-based state identification number, improvement of the recently introduced arrest tracking number and introduction of explicit charge tracking numbers (Recommendation 6); use of statute citation as the primary offense descriptor (Recommendation 7); development of a rap sheet format responsive to user needs (Recommendation 8); and revisions to the CCH computer program to enhance its usability, accuracy and auditability (Recommendation 9); and
3. Changes in the relationship between CCH and other Alaska computerized information systems, including methods to assure that CCH requirements are taken into account when other systems are improved (Recommendation 10); eventual direct reporting of arrest data and fingerprints (Recommendation 11); direct prosecutor filings and disposition reports (Recommendation 12); direct court disposition reporting (Recommendation 13); and correctional status data provided by the Department of Corrections (Recommendation 14).
The findings and recommendations presented in the SEARCH report are now being examined by the agencies affected.

Program Overview
The master’s degree in criminal justice administration is designed to prepare professionals to become effective managers/administrators in the Criminal Justice field.

The program’s emphasis is on the development of reflective and analytical abilities that combine both theory and practical application to issues within the administration of criminal justice agencies. This assists the student in the development of decision-making and problem-solving skills. The program also stresses the development of effective written and verbal communication, that fosters leadership and ethical behavior.
These objectives are achieved through an accelerated, cohort model of instruction. This cohort model takes advantage of the experiences of each student and allows ample opportunity for in depth discussion of the topic at hand. Each student can move toward graduation in as little as 17 months.
Director’s Message
Skills & Job Information
Courses You’ll Take
Available Locations
Director’s Message

Thank you for your interest in our master’s degree in criminal justice administration. This master’s degree is well tailored to meet your busy working and home schedule, and will deliver an intellectual experience that is coupled with practical and real-life applications. ASAP instructors, who are both academically and professionally experienced, help facilitate learning in a cohort model. Learning in a cohort offers years of work/life experience, peer support and networking.

Your journey with us will be stimulating and educationally challenging. We look forward to helping you achieve all of your potential.

With regards,
Dr. Thomas Tremer, Program Director
Professor of Criminology/Criminal Justice

Mr. David Boyer, Program Coordinator
Assistant Professor of Criminology/Criminal Justice